One of my favorite wedding gifts that Nate and I received was a simple journal.  The enclosed card included instructions for how to use the journal: take turns writing each other a love letter. Nate and I started out writing back and forth to each other quickly.  It was fun to scribble a one page letter of adoration to my young husband and even more thrilling to find the journal waiting for me on my pillow at night. As time has passed, the letters have slowed down, but they will never stop. Since journals can easily be found for less than $15, a love letter journal is a great cheap gift for a wedding, your anniversary, or Valentine's … [Read more...]
Why I Asked 71 People to Write My Husband a Love Letter
Valentine's day is traditionally when we express our love, but why limit ourselves?  Today I'm sharing a love-filled gift that is perfect for anytime of year. For my husband's 30th birthday, I surprised him with a box of love letters written by 71 of his friends and family. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate and honor Nate's first 30 years of life.  The gift cost me very little, but was worth so much. My husband's letters weren't filled with lines of romance.  Instead, I asked his family and friends to express how much they appreciate Nate.  It was touching to see the letters come flooding into my mail box and to know that … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Wrap Gift Cards with Stuff You Already Have
Gift cards are fun to receive, easy to give, and annoying to wrap.  A simple Internet search will bring up tons of creative ways to wrap gift cards according to the theme of the gift, but... What if you just want to throw it in a box, slap some wrapping paper on it, and call it done? This post contains affiliate links. 10 Ways to Wrap Gift Cards with Stuff You Already Have 1. Food Boxes - If you are a sample loving junkie like me, then save some of the boxes your samples get mailed in or look in your pantry for any food box that could be emptied. 2. Greeting Card Boxes - I like to buy boxed gift cards because they are cheaper.  The boxes … [Read more...]
Simple Scrubs to Make & Give {giveaway}
*** This giveaway is now closed. *** Today I'm excited to share with you an eBook written by Stacy from A Delightful Home.  Stacy loves making her own green products, from cleaners to bath products.  You might remember her as the author of the very popular guest post on Simply Rebekah Going Green: 10 Ways to Use Vinegar. Stacy turned her love of creating green products into the eBook Simple Scrubs to Make and Give.  You'll especially love this eBook if you are looking for some last minute Christmas gift ideas. Highlights of Simple Scrubs to Make and Give: Over 25 scrub recipes - plus several variations Descriptions of all … [Read more...]
5 Easy, Clever, & Cheap Neighbor Gift Ideas
This post contains affiliate links. Christmas is a great time to spread around some neighborly love.  Last year we had fun handing out bottles of Sprite with the message "May your Christmas be Merry & Sprite!" I got the idea and adorable gift tag printable from My Digital Creations.  (This printable is no longer available on her blog.)  I purchased the pop on sale for $1 a bottle, which made this an extremely cheap neighbor gift. 4 More Easy, Clever, and Cheap Neighbor Gift Ideas: 1) Janet, from Today's Fabulous Finds, shared this clever idea to give a box of muffin mix along with the note "You're getting MUFFIN for … [Read more...]
Planning Now for Frugal & Green Gifts of Jam
I have been having so much fun making jam this year. Â I have made way more that my small family will be able to consume in a year! Â So I plan to give some as gifts. Â I might use them for hostess gifts, birthdays or even Christmas. Â (Am I really planning ahead for Christmas already!??!) I didn't want to buy a large number of jars so I came up with the idea of using a large baby food jar. These 6 oz. jars are a great little gift size! Â Fill them up, let the jam cool and set, screw on the lid tight and pop them in the freezer* until you need a small gift. By planning ahead this summer and making an extra batch or two of jam, I've been … [Read more...]
